Daily Archives: January 18, 2024

Was there anything more absurd than the NFL forcing the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs to compete in a playoff game where the wind-chill temperature was 27 degrees below zero?

Yes! Even more absurd is a GOP nominating process that kicks off with caucuses in Iowa, a state that, by virtually every measure, is extremely unrepresentative of the American electorates demographic diversity and political climate.

Although the winners in Iowa dont necessarily go on to win the nomination, this year may be an exception, given the size of Donald Trumps margin of victory. In most election years, however, Iowas key role is to winnow down the field. By the time the caucuses were held on Monday night, however, the field had been pre-winnowed down to three viable candidates: Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

The frigid weather resembled that for the Dolphins game, so the outcome depended to some degree on which candidates supporters were passionate enough to show up under those conditions.

In the end Trumps avid MAGA base showed up enough to give him the largest margin of victory of any Republican candidate in the history of Iowas first-in-the nation caucuses, with 51% of the votes. His decisive victory was a foregone conclusion, but, as the pundits had prophesied, the real race in Iowa was for second place.

That was more of a toss-up than most observers initially expected. DeSantis, who finished nearly 30 points behind Trump, did narrowly edge Haley for second place. Then, with a show of bravado in his post-election speech to supporters, DeSantis referred to himself as the next President of the United States. Dream on.

In fact, the outcome had to be something of a disappointment for DeSantis, given the time and money he invested in a ground game. His goal was to finish first or at least to emerge as the sole surviving alternative to Trump.

Instead, like Lucy snatching away the football from Charley Brown, Haley finished a close third with 19.1%, just behind DeSantiss 21.2%. That was much better than the initial projections for her candidacy. When she entered the race in Iowa, she stood at 2% while DeSantis had much bigger numbers.

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What went wrong for DeSantis, who held events in all 99 of Iowas counties? First, he oversold his record as Floridas governor, where he had assumed the role of field general in a vague war against woke, a battle that led to conflicts with Disney, drag queens, and university leaders.

Moreover, as he did last week during his state-of-the-state address during the opening of the Florida 2024 legislative session, DeSantis boasted of Floridas high rankings in K-12 and higher education as though those had been achieved during his first term.

In reality, Floridas impressive gains in education date back to a foundation of accountability put in place by DeSantis predecessors beginning with Gov. Jeb Bush and including legislative leaders such as U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio. DeSantis tendency to take credit for things he had little to do with while omitting mention of problems, such as high insurance rates and housing costs, reflects his Trump-like all-about-me personality.

DeSantis is a non-factor in New Hampshire, where Haley is mounting a last-ditch challenge to Trump, but instead of dropping out, as he should, hes heading to Haleys home state of South Carolina for a Feb. 24 primary. Meanwhile, the continued presence of multiple candidates helps Trump by delaying any chance of Republicans coalescing behind a single alternative.

That, as Haley pointed out in remarks following the Iowa caucuses, could guarantee another closely contested race between Trump and Joe Biden a sequel that, polls show, most Americans emphatically do not want.

Robert F. Sanchez, of Tallahassee, is a former member of the Miami Herald Editorial Board. He writes for the Heralds conservative opinion newsletter, Right to the Point. Its weekly, and its free. To subscribe, go to miamiherald.com/righttothepoint.

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DeSantis took credit for Florida's progress but Iowa may have sniffed out his bravado | Opinion - Yahoo News Canada

This picture was taken during a media tour organized by the Israeli military on December 27, 2023. It shows a tunnel that Hamas reportedly used to attack Israel through the Erez border crossing on Oct. 7. The Israeli army said on it had uncovered the biggest Hamas tunnel in the Gaza Strip so far, just a few hundred meters from the Erez border crossing. Maya Levin for NPR hide caption

This picture was taken during a media tour organized by the Israeli military on December 27, 2023. It shows a tunnel that Hamas reportedly used to attack Israel through the Erez border crossing on Oct. 7. The Israeli army said on it had uncovered the biggest Hamas tunnel in the Gaza Strip so far, just a few hundred meters from the Erez border crossing.

It has been over one hundred days since the war between Israel and Hamas began with an attack on Israel October 7th, killing over 1,200 with more than two hundred Israelis taken hostage. Israel responded with a ground, air and sea offensive on Gaza that has killed thousands and displaced many more. Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas. We investigate whether, after a hundred days, Israel is any closer to that goal.

For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdates

Link:

Has the Israeli Military Made Progress in Its Goal of Destroying Hamas? : State of the World from NPR - NPR

It's been more than 30 years since the U.S. Congress passed the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Revitalization Act, which required the inclusion of women in federally funded research. Where do we stand now?

To explore this question, Northwestern University will host a Women-in-STEM panel discussion commemorating the 30th anniversary of the landmark legislation from 3 to 5 p.m. (CT) on Friday (Jan. 19) at MATTER, Chicago's health care incubator (222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza #1230, Chicago). The event also will feature pre-recorded remarks from Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL).

Media interested in attending either virtually or in person must register with Kristin Samuelson prior to the event.

The event, "Breaking Barriers: Celebrating 30 Years of the NIH Revitalization Act and Women's Health Research," comes on the heels of first lady Jill Biden's announcement in late 2023 that she will lead a new initiative to boost federal government research into women's health.

"So much of what we know today in science and medicine is built on decades of research focused on men," said panel discussion moderator Nicole Woitowich, executive director of the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences (NUCATS) Institute and a research assistant professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "For decades, women were discouraged, and in some cases banned, from participating in clinical research. This led to huge gaps in our understanding of how sex and gender inform health and disease.

"Many of the drugs we commonly use today were developed and tested in studies comprising mostly men. It took an act of Congress to mandate that women be included in clinical research and for tides to slowly change. We need a culture shift in the research community - one that emphasizes the influence of sex and gender in health."

In addition to Woitowich, panelists at the event will include:

"There are still knowledge gaps in diseases or disorders in which women are disproportionately affected, such as lung cancer, Alzheimer's disease and rheumatoid arthritis," Woitowich said. "And research studies still routinely fail to analyze data by sex or gender, which is particularly important when it comes to examining how drugs may be metabolized differently."

Woitowich said it also is important to consider the health of women across their lifespan - how hormonal changes from puberty, pregnancy or menopause influence research outcomes, which is particularly relevant for pregnant women who are often excluded from clinical trials.

"Today, in 2024, we still can't tell pregnant women if it is safe or not to take some of the most common prescription drugs because there has not been enough research."

The event is being cosponsored by Chicago's three Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program hubs - The NUCATS Institute, Institute for Translational Medicine (ITM) and University of Illinois at Chicago Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS).

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Jan. 19 Panel Examines 30-Year Progress of Women in Research - Mirage News

The Anaheim Ducks hit the midseason mark with a 5-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Jan. 13. The team sits 29th in the overall standings with a 15-28-1 record through 44 contests; they hold a one-point lead over the Ottawa Senators, who have five games in hand. The Ducks six-game winning streak from Oct. 24-Nov. 5 helped build a seven-point cushion on the last-placed San Jose Sharks and a three-point advantage over the Chicago Blackhawks.

The rebuilding Ducks were expected to be in the hunt for a lottery pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft rather than competing for a playoff spot this season, so the results have not been surprising. With 2023-24 more than halfway to its conclusion, its time to take stock of what the Ducks have accomplished, what needs to change, and what happens next before the organization switches to offseason mode.

The Ducks revamped defense corps hasnt been perfect by any means, but it has improved over last season. Opposing teams averaged a league-high 39.1 shots per game in 2022-23 versus the Ducks. The club has made some progress in that area, surrendering the fifth-most shots against per game (32.8). The Ducks also rank 10th in the league in hits (807) and ninth overall in blocked shots (727) after finishing 31st in hits and 19th in blocks last season. General manager Pat Verbeek wanted his team to be harder to play against, and the players have bought into that style for the most part.

Goaltending has been a bit of a roller coaster again, but taking away some of the pressure that John Gibson and Lukas Dostal face on a gamely basis has been noticeable. As a result, the Ducks rank 20th in the league in save percentage (.896), which is just slightly below the league average (.899). They also sit 17th overall in scoring chances against during 5-on-5 situations after allowing the most last season. The team is still allowing too many high-danger chances at 5-on-5 (tied for seventh-most in the NHL), but even that is an improvement over last campaign.

Radko Gudashas been a welcome addition, thanks in large part to his physicality.Pavel Mintyukovhas made a big impact as a rookie, displaying his tremendous two-way upside. Despite being used sparingly, Tristan Luneau acquitted himself well during his first seven NHL outings. Jackson LaCombe has struggled in 2023-24 but could still carve out a role for himself in the top-six group. Cam Fowler has been leaned on heavily while delivering mixed results.

The Ducks also have talented defense prospects in their pipeline. At the American Hockey League (AHL) level, Olen Zellweger, Drew Helleson, and Tyson Hinds have been sharpening their skills with the San Diego Gulls. Zellweger, who will take part in the AHL All-Star Classic on Feb. 4-5, should get a look in the NHL before the end of the season. Additionally, Noah Warren, Rodwin Dionicio, Vojtech Port, and Konnor Smith have been developing in the junior ranks.

Frank Vatrano, who will represent the Ducks at the NHL All-Star Game, has been a bright spot for the team offensively. He leads the club with 21 goals and 33 points in 44 appearances. The 29-year-old winger has bounced back in a big way after he produced just 22 goals and 41 points in 81 outings in 2022-23.

Mason McTavish has made great strides during his sophomore campaign, and Leo Carlsson has shown flashes of his immense potential as a future first-line center. It also appears as though the game management phase of Carlssons development plan has come to an end after he topped 20 minutes of ice time in back-to-back games Monday (Jan. 15) against the Florida Panthers and Tuesday (Jan. 16) versus the Washington Capitals.

Troy Terry, Adam Henrique, Ryan Strome, and Alex Killorn have also chipped in offensively, but the Ducks rank 29th in the league in goals per game (2.50) and have generated the fewest scoring chances in 5-on-5 situations this season. The team has been held to two goals or fewer in 24 of 29 losses. Terry and Killorn have been trying to work themselves back from sluggish starts. Trevor Zegras, who has been in and out of the lineup due to injuries, only has four goals and seven points in 20 contests. He got off to an unproductive start as well and has been mentioned as a possible trade candidate.

Related: Ducks News & Rumors: Gauthier, Zegras, Gibson, Luneau & More

Injuries to Zegras, McTavish, Carlsson, Mintyukov, and ex-Ducks defender Jamie Drysdale have played a role in the teams offensive woes this campaign. The roster isnt deep to begin with, so playing without key skaters and not getting the chance to ice a fully healthy lineup for most of the season has been an issue. Still, scoring goals isnt a new problem for the Ducks. The team has potted the second-fewest goals in the league since 2020-21, with 668, which is just 43 more tallies than the Seattle Kraken in 56 more games.

Verbeek made what he hopes is a significant move to help resolve the teams offensive deficiencies on Jan. 8 when he dealt Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Cutter Gauthier. The 19-year-old Gauthier is a highly skilled top prospect who could make an immediate impact. He is expected to sign with the Ducks in the spring following the conclusion of his sophomore year with Boston College.

He has obvious top-six talent, Verbeek said after the deal. Hes versatile. He can really shoot the puck and hes got underrated playmaking skills. His skating ability is elite, in my opinion. Ive been looking for more speed up front with our group and certainly fills that ticketWhat I love about Cutter is hes a shooter and goal scorer. He has a nice combination of playmaking ability as well, so I think not only will he be able to shoot the puck into the net, but I think hes going to be able to make other players better too.

The Ducks lead the league with 625 penalty minutes, including a whopping 208 minor infractions. They have 35 more minor penalties than the second-place Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, and Detroit Red Wings. For all the good that Vatrano and Gudas have done this campaign, they rank first and second in the NHL, respectively, in minor penalties.

McTavish is fifth, Strome is tied for seventh, and Ilya Lyubushkin is tied for ninth. The Ducks net penalties (penalties drawn to penalties taken) of minus-44 is the worst in the league, and the team has been shorthanded an NHL-leading 186 times. Allowing the second-most power-play goals against (41) isnt a recipe for sustained success. The Ducks will need to be much more disciplined in the second half.

Verbeek is likely to move pending unrestricted free agents Jakob Silfverberg, Henrique, and Lyubushkin before the March 8 trade deadline. Contending teams seeking depth pieces could benefit from acquiring any of them, but Henrique is likely to yield the best return due to his versatility and scoring ability. The GM made a bold move by sending Drysdale out for Gauthier. That suggests that Zegras, Vatrano, Gibson, and Fowler could be trade candidates as well if the package coming back to the Ducks is substantial enough.

The Ducks have lost some tight games, but the team has largely been much more competitive under new head coach Greg Cronin. They were battling back from deficits early in the season, but the lack of scoring has prevented those comebacks from happening lately.

They still need to be better on special teams, and Gauthier and Zellweger could eventually become permanent members of the top power-play combination. The penalty kill would benefit tremendously if the Ducks cut down on needless infractions with better positioning. Additionally, it would be helpful if the team managed to stay healthier. Thats always easier said than done, especially with the unpredictable nature of injuries, but having a healthy lineup would provide the Ducks brass with a much clearer idea of how to assess the roster moving forward.

Analytics courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.

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Ducks' Midseason Check-in: Progress, Improvement Areas & More - The Hockey Writers

For decades, environmental advocates have been pushing back against greenwashing, when polluting companies misleadingly present themselves as environmentally friendly. Governments are finally starting to tackle the problem with stricter regulations: The European Union agreed to ban deceptive environmental ads in September, and the U.S. Fair Trade Commission is in the process of updating its guidelines around green advertising.

But as new rules go into effect, theyre contributing to a different problem: Many companies, even honest ones, are afraid to talk about their work on climate change at all.

The practice of greenhushing is now widespread, according to a new report released on Tuesday by South Pole, a Switzerland-based climate consultancy and carbon offset developer. Some 70 percent of sustainability-minded companies around the world are deliberately hiding their climate goals to comply with new regulations and avoid public scrutiny. Thats in contrast to just a few years ago, when headlines were full of splashy corporate promises on climate change and even oil companies were pledging to zero out their emissions. The report suggests that this newfound silence could impede genuine progress on climate change and decrease pressure on the big emitters that are already lagging behind.

South Pole found that climate-conscious companies in fashion, consumer goods, tech, oil, and even environmental services are greenhushing. Nearly half of sustainability representatives reported that communicating about their climate targets has become harder in just the past year. But companies arent giving up on going net-zero just the opposite. Of the 1,400 companies surveyed, three-quarters said they were pouring more money than before into efforts to cut carbon emissions. They just didnt want to talk much about it.

We really just cannot afford to not learn from each other, said Nadia Khknen, a deputy director at South Pole and the reports lead author. Companies should be sharing the lessons theyve learned from trying to cut their emissions, engaging one another in hard conversations about what is working and what is not, and how we can improve it, she said.

Greenhushing was the most common, unexpectedly, among the greenest companies. Some 88 percent of those in environmental services, a category that includes renewables and recycling, said they were decreasing their messaging about their climate targets, even though 93 percent said they were on track to meet their goals. Consumer goods companies, like those that sell food, beverages, and household goods, were the next likely to be greenhushing (86 percent), more than the oil and gas industry (72 percent).

The survey, conducted anonymously, is the first to offer insight from companies as to why theyre keeping quiet. Environmental service companies had one of the same top reasons as oil companies: heightened scrutiny from investors, customers, and the media. Among all the companies that admitted to greenhushing, well over half listed changing regulations as a reason why theyre not talking about their climate pledges. Some companies also cited a lack of sufficient data or clear industry guidance around how to communicate their green claims.

Their hesitation has real consequences, researchers from South Pole said. For one, it cuts down on the sense of competition and pressure that can drive companies to be more ambitious with their environmental targets. If youre hiding what youre doing, or not talking about it in a prominent way, it can hold back others, said George Favaloro, South Poles head of climate solutions for North America. The trend also could also cut down on sharing tips and tricks for decarbonizing that could help others trim their carbon emissions.

The report found that greenhushing isnt unfolding equally across the 12 countries surveyed. American companies arent as quiet likely because the United States has less regulation around environmental claims. U.S. companies were the second least likely to be greenhushing, behind Japan. European companies were on the opposite end of the scale. France, which has laws that explicitly limit greenwashing, led the pack with 82 percent of companies staying mum.

Theyre really up against it in Europe now, and in the U.S., its still a bit off in the future, Favaloro said. Its coming, but its not quite here yet. One of the first anti-greenwashing laws in the U.S. went into effect in California earlier this month, mandating that large companies disclose their emissions to back up climate-friendly claims. Lawsuits are also a growing threat: Last year, Nike and Delta Air Lines were sued for making questionable claims about their environmental impacts.

It might be surprising that U.S. companies are unafraid of communicating their climate goals considering the conservative backlash against ESG, short for environmental, social, and governance, a set of standards investors use to assess companies. But the ESG drama has more serious consequences for asset managers like Vanguard and BlackRock, which removed references to sustainability goals on their websites last year, than for corporations.

The 1,400 companies surveyed in the South Pole report are some of the furthest along when it comes to corporate climate action. Overall, however, most companies havent even started yet. Only 8 percent of a broad group of 77,000 corporations, which includes global Fortune 500 companies, have set a net-zero target, the report found. The more that even the leaders dont talk about what theyre doing, its going to provide less motivation to get that group in the game, Favaloro said.

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Companies are hiding their climate progress. A new report explains why. - Grist

A quick response from Albemarle County firefighters was unable to prevent a residence near Faber from burning to the ground late Tuesday night, leaving its occupant with minor injuries and no place to live.

Albemarle authorities said they were dispatched to the reported blaze in the 6500 block of Faber Road near the Albemarle-Nelson county line just before midnight Tuesday. The first units arrived on the scene in 16 minutes.

Flames continue to burn at the scene of a house fire near Faber on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024.

Units discovered heavy fire conditions on the first floor of the home spreading to the second floor, according to a statement from the county fire department.

The man living in the residence was able to evacuate safely. Authorities said the unidentified occupant was sleeping when the fire started and was awoken by the smell of smoke.

What remains of a house after a fire near Faber is seen on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024.

He vacated the residence and was treated for minor injuries on-site. Now displaced, he is currently being assisted by friends and the American Red Cross, authorities said.

No cause for the fire had been determined as of Wednesday afternoon. The Albemarle County Fire Marshal's Office is overseeing the investigation.

A motorcycle sits within the wreckage of house fire near Faber on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024.

In all, 16 units from Albemarle County and two from Nelson County responded to the fire, according to Albemarle County spokeswoman Logan Bogert.

ACFR remained on scene throughout the day on Wednesday, January 17, to monitor and extinguish any hot spots, Bogert told The Daily Progress.

Albemarle County Fire Rescue units respond to a house fire in the 6560 block of Faber Road near the Nelson County border on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024.

When The Daily Progress visited the scene Wednesday at noon, two fire engines, one ambulance and one fire rescue vehicle were still present, as well as six firefighters.

Among them was Chuck Pugh, assistant chief of North Garden Volunteer Fire Company. Pugh said he left his home for the fire at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, and that the house was still considered an active fire 12 hours later. Flames could be seen on a small portion of the property but were being contained by the crew on site.

Chuck Pugh, assistant fire chief with the North Garden Volunteer Fire Department, walks by the remains of a house fire near Faber on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024.

The house had completely burned down, with what appeared to be a motorcycle among the burnt rubble.

The isolated residence near the woods was hundreds of yards from other residences, and Bogert said no other buildings or properties were damaged during the incident.

What remains of a house in Albemarle County near Faber after a fire destroyed the structure as seen onWednesday, Jan. 17, 2024.

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Albemarle County house burns to the ground in late night fire - The Daily Progress